HECOL 210 | Stress & Intimate Relationships

True or false: Stress is a human universal

True

Environmental influences on a relationship exist on a _________ based on _________

Emnvironmental inlfuences on a relationship exist on a continuum based on proximity

When we say a relationship is shaped by its context, what is the context

The context includes everything that affects a relationship outside the couple and the interactions between partners: from their physical surroundings to their social involvements, their culture, and even the historical period in which they live

Proximal contex influences

Environmental influences that affect a couple more directly

Distal context influences

Environmental influences that affect a couple less directly

What are the two most proximal environmental influences on a couple

1) time of day
2) living conditions

What are the two most distal environmental influences on a couple

1) historical period
2) global conditions

Context/environmental influences on a relationship contain which two things

1) stressors
2) resources

True or false: distal environmental influences have a minimal impact on relationships and therefore aren't an important focus when looking at relationship stressors

False, although influence is more dramatic when the context is proximal, distal context can trickle down and have large impacts on individuals and couples

Two types of stressors

1) chronic stressors
2) acute stressors

Chronic Stressors

-Are aspects of context that are relatively stable and enduring
-Example: school, living in a low income neighbourhood etc.

What type of impact does chronic stressors have on couple relations

The impact of chronic stressors on couple relations are relatively
stable

Acute stressors

-threatening events that have a relatively short duration and a clear endpoint
-Example: final exams

What type of impact do acute stressors have on couple relations

Impact on couple relationships is often more dramatic, but may fade as the situation resolves and/or the couple acclimates to the stressor

True or false: comparing chronic and acute stress is more categorical than dimensional

False, comparing chronic and acute stress is more dimensional than categorical

True or false: crises are always negative

False, they have potential benefits

Based on longitudinal data from marriage & divorce rates with the influence of Hurricane Hugo, what were the findings

Following the hurricane there was a spike in divorces and marriages indicating that times of crises enable couples to take a step back and evaluate their relationships

Based on longitudinal data from relationship satisfaction with the influence of Hurricane Hugo, what were the findings

For both husbands and wives, they reported a temporary spike in relationship satisfaction following the hurricane

3 ways in which stress is demanding

1) stress often takes up our time
2) stress often takes up our resources
3) stress preoccupies our thoughts

What are the two most common stressors seen among newlyweds

1) finance related stress
2) work related stress

What is the initial physiological response to stress

The fight or flight response, which prepares the body to tackle stress

Is the fight or flight response voluntary or involuntary

It is involuntary

True or false: the fight or flight response is adaptive

True it is intended to protect us during immediate threats by increasing physical performance

What are the drawbacks of the fight or flight response

-The fight or flight response is only adaptive for immediate physical threats
-When prolonged, it can become harmful, weakening the immune system and making it maladaptive for managing long-term mental stress

Yerkes-Dodson Law

the principle that performance increases with arousal only up to a point, beyond which performance decreases

How does stress affect attention, memory, and performance on simple stress-related tasks

Stress improves attention, memory, and performance for simple tasks related to the stressful situation

How does stress affect attention, memory, and performance on complex tasks

Stress decreases attention, memory, and performance on complex and deliberative tasks, such as communication and empathy

What type of focus does stress lead to

Stress causes "tunnel vision," narrowing focus to the immediate situation

How does stress affect relationships

Stress, is not coped with properly, can harm relationships by impairing communication and reducing satisfaction

How does stress influence couple communication

Couple communication worsens when the fight or flight response is activated

What was a key finding about stress during the COVID-19 pandemic

Those experiencing higher COVID-related stress reported worse communication compared to those less stressed

How do satisfied couples respond to each other's bad behaviors under low stress

They are often able to excuse one another's bad behaviors

How does high stress affect a satisfied couple's ability to excuse bad behaviours

They are less likely to excuse bad behaviors when under high stress because high stress makes individuals less able to view the broader context when needed

How does high levels of stress often affect sexual satisfaction

High levels of stress often are associated with lower sexual satisfaction

How does high levels of stress affect relationship satisfaction

High levels of stress often are associated with lower relationship satisfaction

High levels of stress often are associated with greater likelihood of __________

High levels of stress often are associated with greater likelihood of dissolution

Two mechanisms in which stress impacts intimate relationships

1) stress spillover
2) stress crossover

What is stress spillover

-Stress from one area of someone's life has an impact on other areas
-Example: you are stressed out from cramming for tests, so you perceive your relationship with your partner to be less happy

What type of process is stress spillover

Stress spillover is an intrapersonal process

What were the findings from the air traffic controlled study on stress spillover

For those air traffickers controllers who directed more planes in a day, their partners reported they were more withdrawn at home

What is stress crossover

Stress that one partner faces has an impact on the other partner

What type of process is stress crossover

Stress crossover is an interpersonal process

As an example of stress crossover, what were the findings from a study regarding wives levels of reported depression in comparison to their husbands experienced work stress

research has found wives reported higher levels of depression when husbands experienced more stress at work

True or false: the effect of stress crossover are higher in unhappy relationships

False, the effect is strongest among those in the happiest relationships

What is stress pileup

multiple stressors occuring at the same

How does our stress response handle stress pileup

poorly due to the fact that our fight or flight response isn't adaptive to pileup and chronic stressors—it is in this pileup that out functioning becomes seriously impaired

Is the ABC-X model effective for analyzing stress pileup

No, it is far to arbitrary because unlike this model states, we rarely have just one stressor at a time

Which model is more effective for analyzing stress pileup

The Double ABC-X model

When are stressors likely to have negative effects on a relationship

If couples do not have the resources to cope with the level of
stressors that they encounter, the stressors are likely to have negative
effects on the relationship

When are stressors likely to be more beneficial for relationships

If couples have the resources to cope with the stressors they face,
then the experience of having successfully coped with the stressors
may be beneficial to their relationship

What is a big factor that may mitigate the negative impact of stress on a relationship

The ability to notice stress

Are we often aware of our own and our partners stress

No, often, we are simply unaware of the stress we experience,
allowing us to have "spillover"

What did the Bar Exam Study reveal regarding the impact of noticing stress

the effect of the examinee partner's bad mood on the other partner weakened as the test date got closer signalling g that after some time the examinees partner was able to notice the stress

What did research regarding covid-19 and noticing stress conclude

During covid, when couples were aware that covid-stress
was impacting them, they had less spillover and crossover

Through research findings, what relationship has been found for both men and women with regards to negative life event windows and marital satisfaction

For both men and women, those who have had fewer negative life events windows reported higher marital satisfaction

With regards to resilience, what is a key part of the ABC-X model

Coping

What two things are essential for couple resilience

1) coping/learning to manage stress
2) productive problem solving

What was observed among newlywed couples with effective problem-solving skills compared to those without

Among newlywed couples, those with moderate stress levels and effective problem-solving skills reported less stress spillover compared to couples with lower stress levels but poorer problem-solving skills

Can stressors benefit couples

Yes, for example, stressors can provide an opportunity to overcome challenges, building couple confidence

How does overcoming stressors affect future stressful times for couples

It allows couples to better manage stressful times in the future